Hannah Payne’s life has been devoted to church and family. But after she’s convicted of murder, she awakens to a nightmarish new life. She finds herself lying on a table in a bare room, covered only by a paper gown, with cameras broadcasting her every move to millions at home, for whom observing new Chromes—criminals whose skin color has been genetically altered to match the class of their crime—is a sinister form of entertainment. Hannah is a Red for the crime of murder. The victim, says the State of Texas, was her unborn child, and Hannah is determined to protect the identity of the father, a public figure with whom she shared a fierce and forbidden love.

A powerful reimagining of The Scarlet Letter, When She Woke is a timely fable about a stigmatized woman struggling to navigate an America of the not-too-distant future, where the line between church and state has been eradicated, and convicted felons are no longer imprisoned but chromed and released back into the population to survive as best they can. In seeking a path to safety in an alien and hostile world, Hannah unknowingly embarks on a journey of self-discovery that forces her to question the values she once held true and the righteousness of a country that politicizes faith and love.

My Rating:

My Review:

Ms. Hillary Jordan creates a world where Roe v. Wade has been overturned, religion and government has become one, privacy is nonexistent, and women take 5 million steps backwards in their move toward equality. Hannah is discovered to have had an abortion and subsequently convicted of murder. In this world, a conviction of murder leads to chroming where her skin is changed to the color that represents her crime. Hannah discovers that the world is a completely different place for a chrome. She struggles to be accepted by her family, questions her faith, and tries to survive. When she is given a chance at freedom, she must decide if it is worth leaving everything behind.

On the story...
I picked this story because of the cover and I had no idea what I was getting into. I had no idea of the subject matter at all. Ms. Jordan does not hesitate to take on all the big issues and create a captivating story that will keep the reader interested from beginning to end. Hannah becomes a different person at the end and I enjoyed her growth. This world is so vivid and disturbing. It really sticks with you.

BUT I definitely had conflicting feelings while reading this book. There were points where I told myself, I couldn't wait for the story to be over, but at the same time, I wanted to know what was going to happen. I was uncomfortable for most of the book. Maybe that's a good thing. Maybe that was the point of a story like this. It definitely makes you think. I've never seen a book take on so many controversial issues. If you are uncomfortable discussing, hearing about, or reading about abortion, religious intolerance, racism, or homosexuality, this might not be the read/listen for you.

Ultimately, Ms. Jordan seems to weave a story around a central themes of hypocrisy and shaming. I don't think the situations present in this book are in the not-so-distant future. I think these things are happening right now. People who are imprisoned and released cannot get jobs. They are not accepted. Even though they have served their debt to society, they are continuously punished and shamed. Many of these people feel like they must return to a life of crime to eat and to survive because it is the only place the are accepted or the only way they can make any money. We as a society think this is okay. The message seemed to be "this could happen if..." But I'm thinking, "this IS happening now in a different form." Toward the end, I felt Ms. Jordan lost the strength of her message (and story) with some of Hannah's unbelievable choices but that's just me.

So to sum it up... this is a great book that makes the reader think and I had no idea where the story was going. I was definitely intrigued from beginning to the end. It may also be very uncomfortable read for some people.

On the narrator...
Ms. Corrigan did a good job narrating this book. At first, her voice surprised me because it was light and higher than I expected and it didn't seem like the voice of a narrator. I soon grew accustomed to her voice and style and thought it fit just fine. Honestly, I found myself hanging on to every word that was being said, I didn't even hear or pay attention to "the voice." I just pictured the story unfolding in front of me.

Great review - I totally agree - although this is supposed to be a dystopian novel, the situations are rather current. I like how she tackled a lot of hard topics, but wove them beautifully with the story, so it didn't sound preachy.

Great review. It is incredibly insightful. I have been on the fence on this one for awhile. I suspect that I will give it a try when time dictates, although I may read the book. I should try an audio book at some point.- Stephanie

I've heard such great things about this one. Scary to think about especially when, like you said, things issues and things ARE happening today and it seems the country is on the trend to make it worse. I'd very much like to read or listen to this book one day. I think the themes explored need to be talked about and put out in the open. Awesome review!

They definitely need to be put out. It is very relevant to today because of the religious aspect. The religious aspect might have been too black and white though. It needed to be more grey in my opinion.

Sounds really intriguing, I think I'm going to check it out. Here in Mexico we supposedly have separation of church and state, but when almost 90% of the population shares religion (Catholicism) that gets to be a very blurry line, so I find this topic very interesting.

Also, the fact she's convicted for having an abortion - here in Mexico we are a hot mess when it comes to that, 'cause it's legal in some states but not in others and well, it's a bit of a nightmare.

Anyway, thanks for reviewing this book because I wouldn't have heard of it otherwise. I totally understand what you mean when you say that at some points you wanted the book to be over, but it sounds like it has lots of good points on its favor too

It's legal here in the U.S. but it has really separated the country I think. What people believe when it comes to abortion shapes everything whether it is related to abortion or not. It is such a divisive issue that I was surprised that Ms. Jordan took it on in such a headstrong way.

I started to read this for review and really got into it. But then I started to get bored. I'd like to pick it up again because I think the story is really interesting, especially the idea behind it. I also liked Hannah. She's a strong character. Great review!

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In accordance with FTC guidelines regarding endorsements and/or testimonials for bloggers, I would like readers to know that some of the books I review on Reflections of a Bookaholic are provided to me for free by the publisher or author in exchange for an honest review. I am not compensated for my reviews and all opinions are mine.

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Welcome! I'm Alexis Villery, a former teacher, an attorney, and a lover of all things bookish.

I am a family attorney by day who escapes the legal world to the world of planning and reading. If you get to know me you'll find a chronic over-sleeper and an ice cream lover. As a loyal alum, I'm a Longhorn fan for life (Hook 'Em!) Join me on my journey!!